Why are Wanyinggong and Laodagong temples associated with caring for unclaimed departed souls?

These temples relate to caring for unclaimed departed souls and should not be imagined only as frightening ghost temples. I have discussed early settlers in Taiwan and conflicts among groups over resources and ways of life. Some deceased were later buried together, creating places of worship and hopes for their rest. With time and changing customs, these developed into temples such as Wanyinggong and Laodagong.

Some also worship the Earth God nearby, and I have seen Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva invited too. In the religious purpose I introduced, this aims to settle the land and give unclaimed souls a place of support.

When YOYO and I first attended the opening of the shrine doors at Keelung's Laodagong Temple, we discussed the changing name. With its burial background, folk usage called it 'opening the ghost gates.' After it became a temple and Laodagong was worshipped as a deity, local people hoped to call it 'opening the shrine doors.' This is more than changing one word; it connects with attitudes toward predecessors and the evolution of custom.

As for the original meaning of opening the ghost gates, folk tradition says the gates open on the first day of the seventh lunar month, beginning the departed souls' holiday until month's end. Asked whether it opens a passage from the underworld to the human world, I answered that, in customary terms, that should be the idea.

I share observations and folk understanding from that occasion. One temple's story cannot apply to every Wanyinggong temple. Places have their own histories and names. Before worship, learn whom you are visiting and the rules, remain respectful, and avoid forced conclusions about what is unclear. This custom cares for lives once left unsettled, rather than merely frightening the living.